Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board

Mission of UCAB

The Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board (UCAB) represents approximately 300,000 residents in the area of the county that is north of Shady Grove Road and including the communities of Boyds, Clarksburg, Darnestown, Damascus, Derwood, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Goshen, Laytonsville, Hyattstown, Dickerson, Barnesville, Beallsville, Tobytown, Washington Grove, Montgomery Village, Poolesville and parts of North Potomac. If you are uncertain if you live in the upcounty service area, please call 240-777-8040.

The 20-member board advises the County Executive, County Council on area needs and priorities such as transportation, human services, environment, public safety, other issues of local importance, and the Director of the Upcounty Region. It also reviews and comments on the County capital and operating budgets and master plans; assists with strategies to tailor services to regional needs; and conducts workshops and forums. Some members represent the Board on other County committees.

Members serve three-year terms without compensation, attending monthly meetings on Monday evenings and occasionally on Saturdays at the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center in Germantown. Members are also expected to serve on at least one subcommittee which meets approximately one evening every month on its own schedule.

How to Join

Applications for membership on all County committees are solicited through press releases to the news media, advertisements on Montgomery County Cable Channel 6, and mailings to umbrella civic associations and community groups that have requested them. Individuals may be on the mailing list maintained by the offices of the County Executive. Notices of vacancies are posted in the government centers and libraries. Press releases describe the duties of the committee for which membership is being solicited, outline special requirements for membership, request a resume including home address and home and office phone numbers, and include a deadline for application. Applicants respond to requests for membership by submitting a letter and resume to the appointing authority indicating interest in serving on a specific committee.

Members

The 20 members of the UCAB are appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Council to serve 3-year terms. Membership represents a cross-section of citizens living or working in the Upcounty region, generally defined as that area north and west of Shady Grove Road. Criteria for the Board's membership include diversity of background and employment, relevant experience, expertise and geographic balance. The office of the County Executive announces board vacancies through press releases to regional and neighborhood newspapers. Those interested in becoming UCAB members must submit resumes to the County Executive for consideration. The UCAB meets each month (except August) on a pre-determined Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center